Disclaimer: I do not own HxH, obviously.
The Last Piece
The first time the king saw Komugi, he didn't think much of her.
She is blind, weak and timid.
She even stammered when she spoke.
But when she started playing "Gun Gi", she transformed into someone entirely different – someone who is confident and focused.
Interesting, he thought.
He preferred her this way.
The first time he thought he was going to beat her, she outwit him. Again.
He was a little frustrated at first but soon regained his confidence.
He will break her flow one day and victory will be his.
The first time he made a bet with the blind girl, he broke it himself.
He tore off his left arm himself as an apology to her.
When his faithful guard, Pufu offered to give him treatment, he dismissed him and insisted to continue the game.
When the butterfly guard tried to persuade him again, he smacked him because he dislikes repeating his words.
That was also the first time he hit Pufu.
The first time she called for a break, he had asked for her name.
And in return, she asked for his.
That was the first time someone ever asked for his name.
The others have always called him the king.
He wanted a name for the first time in his life.
The first time he intended to kill her, he saved her instead.
When she cried out loud, it confused him even more.
He couldn't understand why he hadn't killed her right there and then.
All he knew was that he wanted to protect her from that moment onwards.
The first place the king rushed to when the attack began was to Komugi's place.
But he was still one step too late.
She was wounded badly.
"Pitou, heal Komugi."
Despite everything, he wanted her to be saved. Everything else can wait.
The first person he goes to after he has defeated Netero and learned his real name is Komugi.
She is lying on a bed. Unconscious. Yet he tells her anyway.
He knows she can hear him somehow.
"Remember this. My name is Meruem."
The first person to be there when Komugi regain her consciousness is the king himself.
He has stayed by her side and never leaves her side until she wakes.
As weak as she is, she manages to murmur something under her breathe.
He bends down just to hear her words.
"Meruem is a great name, y-your highness."
She smiles faintly and he thinks he owns the universe.
The first month is tough for Komugi.
She heals very slowly.
Pitou did his best yet his best is not enough.
The king grows impatient.
"How much longer?" he asks.
Pitou kneels and doesn't dare to look up to meet his glare.
"At least half year, my Lord."
"Too long, makes it three months."
"Yes, your highness."
Pitou fears for his life because he doesn't dare to tell the king that the blind girl might not even last that long.
The first thing Komugi does when she is well enough to sit upright without help is to tell the servant to summon the king.
"I'm ready to play." She says.
The king is pleased but he is still a bit concerned.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
In the middle of their game, Komugi coughs and stains her palm in red.
"Pitou!"
The king's roar shakes the palace.
He never sounds this fearful before, not even for his life.
The last thing that she leaves him is a scroll.
She has written down all her tactics and moves of "Gun Gi" in it.
"I want you to have it, your highness."
"Just call me my name, Komugi."
"Yes, Meruem-sama."
The king lays her head on his lap and holds her until she fades into eternal slumber.
Afterwards, he wonders where the salted water on his cheeks comes from.
That is the last time the king remembers his human self.
END
A/N; I don't know why but the scene of the king holding Komugi gently when she is wounded stays in my head for a long time. It's funny how a king as strong as he is cares for a girl as weak as her. I suppose opposite attracts =P